A lot of things have changed in the past five years for Big Muddy Dance Company, but one thing has not: the dedication of the group’s original core members, most of whom are still performing with the company. That’s pretty inspiring, mostly because the group has completely changed the tone and tenor of its dance style over that period of time.
“The Big Muddy was filling this gap of accessible jazz dance at its very beginnings,” said Erin Warner Prange, the group’s executive director. “Since that time, we’ve evolved into a pretty eclectic repertory company. We do everything—ballet as a foundation for all that we do. Then there’s some jazz in there, some contemporary in there. We do a lot of comedic works, with some dance theatre thrown in. We really try to cover all of it.”
As the group looks forward to their fifth season, which starts Nov. 21, they’ve also added some new blood to the group in the form of two new dancers and pieces to their repertoire. The season will include four world premieres.
Brian Enos, the dance company’s artistic director told “Cityscape” host Steve Potter that these new developments show how Big Muddy is looking toward the future. One of the new pieces in this season is a work of Enos’ own choreography.
“I find the hardest thing is getting people into their first performance,” Enos said. “Once people see their first performance, they always come back. That’s how we’ve built such a loyal fan base.”
Listen here to discover what else is coming up for Big Muddy Dance Company:
Related Event
What: Big Muddy Dance Company Presents "Season Kickoff"
When: Saturday, Nov. 21 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Washington University's Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63105
More information.
“Cityscape” is produced by Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer, and Kelly Moffitt. The show is sponsored in part by the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.
